Alexa always chooses obscure cover versions of titles

[DaveAmes12]

The main way that I use Spotify is requesting music by Alexa voice control. Unfortunately I have an extremely annoying problem with it: If I request a song by title, Alexa+Spotify usually chooses the most obscure possible cover version instead of the popular version of the title (e.g., how would you like to hear the bagpipes-only version of that popular rock ballad from the 90s?). Ok, usually I can stop it and make a more specific request by artist (assuming I remember the artist name correctly), but even then I may get an obscure live version instead of the popular version. This is unlike using the Spotify app or web player, where it lists the versions of the title in order of popularity. I can't find any way to override this behavior, and I'm finding it so frustrating that's going to end up driving me to a different music service when my Spotify subscription runs out.

I haven't had any luck finding a solution in the Amazon/Alexa forums. Has anyone here got any suggestions about how to fix this?

[migueldei]

I have a couple of days struggling with this... I found a workaround for those who need/wish to play an specific song:

Go to Spotify and create a Playlist containing only the song you want to play. Name the playlist after the song, and you can have Alexa playing the song directly by commanding it to play the song and adding " playlist" to the voice command.

Still, you need to add "playlist" whenever you request to play the song, but that is definitely better than having an obscure remix that you would never ask for.

I hope this helps, until either Amazon, or more likely Spotify, gets it fixed.

[jennabmacd]

I constantly have this issue when requesting songs from Alexa. What baffles me is that Alexa hears my command properly, but still won’t play the most popular version (the one that you’d get as the top search result if you typed that exact same command into the Spotify app). I usually get fed up and disconnect Alexa from Bluetooth and then reconnect my phone to play through the Bluetooth so that I can control Spotify through the app on my phone. I’d love it if Spotify would address this issue. I’m tempted to leave the platform because I just don’t use Spotify as much as I’d like to anymore. 

[alexworden]

Amazon is doing it on purpose. I replaced my Alexa with a Google Home device instead that's also connected to Spotify. It plays the correct songs every time. 

Of course, Alexa plays the right songs if you use Amazon Music - except that Amazon Music Unlimited doesn't have all the songs that Spotify does and doesn't make good recommendations either. 

Amazon are a pretty evil company. They know exactly what they're doing... a little like Apple. 

[gpgaal]

I really doubt that it's Spotify at fault, here. It is far more likely
Amazon that has Alexa screw with your obvious selection choice. I've tried
Amazon music with Alexa. The results were really pretty interesting...

Alexa will be much more chipper and upbeat sounding when responding to a
request for music from Amazon Music (weird, right?). But, more importantly,
you will get the most obvious (and desired) result from your music request.

Anyway, it's just Amazon trying to degrade Spotify and make its own music
service seem more appealing. Screw it, I still prefer Spotify!

[gpgaal]

Another option, if you're musically very knowledgeable, is to request:

SONG_NAME "from the album" ALBUM_NAME

That will get you the original (non-remastered) version of the song.

[alexworden]

Maybe... but you have to know the album. Even if you state the artist the
Alexa still plays a cover version! Try “Good Day Sunshine by The Beatles”
and you get a crappy cover version. Amazon is evil.

[rpiaggio]

Please fix. I just spent 10 minutes trying to play the regular, studio version of Life on Mars?, which is the first hit when you type that on Spotify.


If no artist was specified, Alexa would play a crappy cover. If I did say "by David Bowie" I got a live version (which doesn't even appear when you search for the song on Spotify unless you specify "live").

[rpiaggio]

Of course, with Amazon Music it gets it right the first time.

This is so frustrating.

[migueldei]

 The only workaround that I found is to create a playlist with the sole song that I wanted to play... This will help if it is a frequent song. 

BTW, the issue is not on Spotify, as (reportedly) with G00gle devices it works better. It seems to be an Amzn thing.

[Benito_Martin]

IS IT THAT DIFFICULT?

NOVEMBER 2020, ISSUE STILL NOT FIXED:

SPOTIFY, PLEASE TALK WITH AMAZON-ALEXA AND GET IT DONE!!

WE WANT THE MOST POPULAR TRACK UNLESS REQUESTED OTHERWISE!!!

If you are in the Spotify Support Team reading this, please don't answer with: "It is an Alexa problem". (I already contacted Amazon and they replied my it was Spotify's issue, not theirs) Please talk with your supervisor. IT IS A HUGE PROBLEM, and it has been going on for YEARS.

[andunai]

I agree. 2021 here and the problem persists. It's driving us nuts!!! Alexa is basically USELESS with Spotify. Can only pause/next/stop.

[Angela765]

Is Spotify actually reading any of these posts? We would be very interested in what you have to say about the situation. 

I’ve  just spent 10 minutes yelling at Alexa to play Sunday Morning. I got the live version again and then a song by Maroon Five! How come Maroon Five gets offered up when Sunday Morning by the Velvet Unground should have way more status?

Yes sometimes I can’t remember the exact album a song came from but it’s not hard to prioritise the original version to something recorded two months ago by a band I’ve never heard before and a completely different song but with the same title. 

It’s the main reason I bought an Alexa, just to play songs through Spotify. Please fix this. 

[khcisme]

This morning (Oct 2021):  Alexa, play A Little Less Conversation.  Playing A Little Less Conversation by TOBY KEITH?!?!  

[andunai]

I've checked several other issues and it seems like Spotify are actually ignoring this entire platform whatsoever.

I wouldn't expect that kind of attitude if this was a free service, however most of us here are paying actual money and all we get in return is a shameful vendor lock. Spotify not only ignores those issues but also effectively prevents us from getting any kind of workarounds.

I'm considering moving away from Spotify and getting all my friends off, too, since most of them are programmers and are also mad by Spotify refusing to cooperate.

Edit: seriously, "p i s s e d" and "h e l l" are being censored here? What year is it? 1984?

[andunai]

BUMP!

[goldwinguk]

Still the same worse with albums, asked for war of the worlds and got some obscure track by get Cape fly! If the album title is longer than two words you can't ask for the album by name because she will interrupt  and play a **bleep** rap track! I've asked for songs with millions of plays and get a shite Korean pop song with about a hundred plays. Alexa is worse so I blame Amazon programmers most of there stuff sucks

[Nivek089]

After reading every comment It seems pretty obvious this is an Amazon issue. Of course Amazon will say it’s Spotify lol. I mean every single google home owner has said it works fine on there yet we keep coming on here like no one is reading that part. The echo voice commands aren’t great echo is always getting my words messed up or doing nothing of what I asked. But let’s blame the music app that has no control over Amazon lol. Come on people. I came here to complain also but after reading I see there was no need to say anything to Spotify.

[Maugster]

This problem still exists in late 2022 and is still pretty frequent. Methinks perhaps spotify would like to pay less in royalties wherever possible..